Saturday, June 8, 2013

Orange Chicken Vegetable Stir-Fry

Instead of ordering take-out, give this recipe a try. It is really quick to make if you prep the vegetables ahead of time. I served this stir-fry with brown rice. Delicious!




2 TBS canola oil, divided
1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large carrot, sliced
1 small onion, cut into 3/4-inch squares
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch squares
2 cups broccoli florets

Orange Sauce:

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup light orange juice *
1/2 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener (like Splenda)*
2 TBS brown sugar
3 TBS rice vinegar
2 TBS reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 TBS lemon juice
1/ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 TBS cornstarch

To make sauce, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the water, orange juice, sweetener (or honey), brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, ground ginger and pepper flakes. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a low simmer.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 TBS of water and the cornstarch to create a slurry and whisk into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a low boil and cook for 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens and clears. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer.

To make the chicken, heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large fry pan (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until well browned on all sides and the chicken is barely cooked though. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and cover.

Add the remaining 1 TBS of oil to the pan. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the onion and peppers and stir-fry for 3-4 more minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 1 minute.

Add the orange sauce and chicken to the wok, cover, and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked.


* I prefer not to use artificial sweeteners when I cook.  So I used 1/3 cup + 2 TBS 100% orange juice and 1/4 c. + 2 TBS honey instead of Splenda. We thought it tasted delicious. 

Pea pods, celery, water chestnuts and almonds would be great additions to this stir-fry.


Source:  Eat What You Love - Marlene Koch

Servings:  6 (1 1/2 cup)

Kimberly

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